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Saturday, October 1, 2011

Bundaberg

We spent three nights up in Bundaberg this week. We stayed at a beachside place at Bargara. A major reason for the visit was to get some research leads into the story of locomotive building at the Bundaberg Foundry. That got off to a good start.
Unfortunately, Bundaberg's sugar industry is not what it was. When I visited first in 1975, Gin Gin Mill had just closed and Bingera, Fairymead, Millaquin, Qunaba and Isis were all in operation. Now only Bingera, Millaquin and Isis are left and I think there will soon be just two. On the north side of the Burnett River a lot of tramlines have been 'rationalised' and Isis is taking cane from many local farms, even ones close to Millaquin and Bingera mills. Nearly all cane haulage in the district is by bogie locos with many 0-6-0s spare and decommissioned.

On Wednesday the Botanical Gardens Railway in North Bundaberg was operating,with John Fowler 0-6-2T INVICTA hauling the train.

Fairymead is still in use as a loco depot serving Bingera Mill and at the left on Wednesday afternoon is EM Baldwin MOORLANDS (ex COOLUM from Moreton Mill) and on the right is Bundaberg Foundry Engineers BOOYAN, designed by the Hunslet Engine Co.

The Plasser KMX 12T tamping machine was parked at Fairymead and is an impressive beast.

The old Gin Gin Mill site was at Wallaville and this too is in use as a loco depot for Bingera Mill, but only one loco is stationed here, Com-Eng BURNETT, and it only does afternoon shift.